Readers' Restorations

Feature Article from Hemmings Classic Car

The old-car restoration hobby is not only alive and doing very well, but it seems to be gaining in popularity. At least that's what our mail has illustrated of late.
As outlined in my column last month, we are seeking collector-car restoration stories and photographs from readers. So far, several dozen folks have responded, very positively, to my request. What's so encouraging about the letters and photos that we have received is that there is a growing trend among enthusiasts to perform more restoration work in-house (or is that, in-garage?) than ever before. Regardless of how little experience they have, more and more people are doing the entire restoration of their old car or truck themselves, including welding, body and paint. Although the number of those trying their hand at spraying paint is still relatively less than those rebuilding engines and brake systems, it's still far more popular than upholstery work, which seems to intimidate nearly everyone.
What's even more amazing is that not all the cars and trucks being restored are mainstream vehicles. Instead of taking the easy way out and choosing something popular to restore, which will make buying the necessary body and trim parts as easy as picking up a phone and dialing a 1-800 number, there are a fair number of folks who are restoring, or have recently restored, cars that are either rare or were unpopular models when they were new. This means that finding the much-needed parts for those particular cars, as well as the proper production information to restore them correctly, significantly adds to the project's difficulty. Yet these enthusiasts aren't too concerned about those impending problems, choosing instead to restore them because that is the car that they always dreamed of owning and driving.
In the coming months, we will be writing Restoration Profiles on many of these cars, not only because the cars are interesting models but mainly because the owner documented the entire restoration process with lots and lots of clear photographs. Photo documentation is an important step in the restoration process, and is worthwhile not only for your own interest, but it will help sell the car should you decide to part with it in the future. The photographs will show potential buyers the extent of the restoration work that was done to the car, thus validating all of your claims.
Some of the more interesting restoration projects that were sent in by our readers which we hope to profile in future issues of Hemmings Classic Car included a 1926 Buick Master Six Opera Coupe, 1928 Studebaker Commander Regal Sedan, 1929 Roosevelt, 1931 Chevrolet Sport Coupe, 1941 Graham Hollywood, 1941 Plymouth woody wagon, 1948 Packard woody wagon, 1951 Mercury convertible, 1953 and '55 Buicks, 1958 Nash Statesman, plus several of the more commonly seen late '50s and early '60s Chevys, Fords, Oldsmobiles and Pontiacs.
Another thing we noticed from the photographs sent in was that there are far more well-equipped home garages today than even ten years ago. Besides rolling tool chests filled with all the necessary hand tools, sizeable air compressors are the most popular "big" tool item that many enthusiasts own--many of which were of the 60-gallon variety. Pedestal-mounted grinders, buffers and drill presses seem to be the next most popular tools. Several enthusiasts have full-size beadblasting cabinets in their garages, which is one of those tools that once you have one, you say to yourself, "How did I ever restore cars without it?" And you know all those garage lifts that you see advertised everywhere? Well it's quite evident that they're selling very well as many enthusiasts have at least one.
But what I found most surprising from viewing the hundreds of photographs that we received was the type of restorations being performed, their thoroughness and overall quality. Although only a few cars were body-on rebuilds, the kind that center solely on new paint and interior and the replacement of some exterior trim parts, the overwhelming majority of the restorations being performed by these talented at-home do-it-yourselfers were complete ground-up, body-off restorations. These intensely laborious projects can easily be overwhelming at times, not to mention incredibly expensive. But if you want your beloved old car or truck restored properly, it takes that kind of commitment to do the job right and for the car to last. And that's the kind of work that our readers seem most interested in doing.
Seeing photo after photo of stripped-down bodies on workhorses, bare frames, refinished with an impeccable shine, being assembled with new and repainted suspension and brake components is very inspiring to say the least. What's even more inspiring are those projects that were painted by the hobbyists themselves. Refinishing is the most difficult aspect of a car's entire restoration, and the one part of the project that gets the most scrutiny. If you mess up here, everyone will see it. But it's encouraging to see so many owners willing to take that chance, choosing to paint their cars themselves instead of having their local bodyshop do it for them. Seeing them transform their garages into makeshift spray booths with plastic sheets hanging everywhere is exciting and very motivating.
The best part of restoring old cars is the newfound appreciation and interest it instills in people. Several of our readers mentioned that they enjoyed restoring their old cars so much that they decided to make a business out of it. Two folks said that they will be setting up restoration shops when they retire from their primary careers, while others have already made it their career.
So take a close look at our 100 Collectible Cars for under $3,500 feature. There are still some affordable restoration projects to be had, and when combined with all the tools and equipment that are readily available today, restoring old cars has never been easier. A more rewarding hobby just doesn't exist.

This article originally appeared in the March, 2006 issue of Hemmings Classic Car.